Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-09-02

VIM. PINKNEY .WHYTE,
Of Baltimore City.
An Unholy but Inpotent Alliance.
The attitude assumed by Mr.. John K.
Cowen, the chief counsel of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad company, at the late
Republican State convention, in the speech
he made there, and the busy cooperation
of other employees of that corporation
with the Republican managers, taken in
connection with the Republican platform,
leaves scarcely any room to doubt that the
B. & O. has cast its fortunes with the State
Republicans in the vain hope of defeating
the call of constitutional convention.
1t has been charged all along by the
most discerning of the State press that the
prominent part taken last winter by the
willy and astute counsellor of the B. & O.
in organizing a se-called reform move
ment in the Democratic party, pretended
to be based on certain alleged election IT.
regularities in Baltimore city, was purely
and solely msske movement on the part
of the corporation to defeat constitution
al convention, which it has substantial
reasons to fear. Oxe of the chief mischiefs
for which revision of the constitution is
advocated as q remedy is the laxness of
the provisions of the present organic law,
whereby large corporate interests like the
B. & o. escape their just and proper share
OF the burdens Of taxation which now rest
so heavily upon the already depressed
agricultural interests. Hence the obvious
motive of that soulless corporation in
posing before the public through its chiei
counsellor as q reformer of Democratic
politics. -
But when the Democratic State central
committee, with wise sagacity, took all
the wind quite out of the sails of this vir-
tuous reform corporation by promptly
and efectually removing all suspicion of
its alleged grievance: and when State
convention, the fair and unusually intelli-
gent and respectable representatives of the
whole Democratic people, assembled and
put before the people most excellent and
generally acceptable ticket; and when the
same convention pledged the Democratic
party to the provision of all proper safe
guards against unfair elections, which in
the opinion of the convention could be
tffectuaiIy accomplished only in revision
of the constitution which it seemed to re-
garl as decided upon by the people; then
it y:.s that our virtne,a corporation thssw
of the innocent garb of the lamb in which
it had been masquerading, and, assuming
its natural wolflike fleece, stalked boldly
into the Republican camp.
The terms of the bargain between the
Republicans and their new found ally is
plainly apparent in that plank of their
platform which declares that the time. is
not now opportune for the calling of
constitutional convention and pledges the
Republicans to oppose call at the COM
ing election. But Mr.. MeComas, presi
dent of the convention, who is recognized
as the personifcation of the larger element
of brains and responsibility in the Repub-
lican party, il his speech upon assuming
the chair, either unwittingly or from hon
est purpose, quite gave the whole scheme
away. He said he had long recognized
the in6rmity OF the present constitution
and locked forward to the time when we
might have 3 new one; but he did not
think the present time was an opportune
one for the calling of a constitutional con-
vention, for the reason that new consti-
tuition made now would be made by Dem
ocrats and he did not think that Demo
Gratis were as capable of making good
constitution as Republicans.
Now with this representative Republi-
can admitting the necessity of change
of the constitution and giving as reason
for the inopportuneness of the present
time what must be regarded by all intel
ligent men as nothing but huge joke, the
Republican party will not 60 with very
good grace into the performance Of its
part of the contract with the B. s. o.
Any fair minded man, whatever his poll
tical opinion, who looks back at the only
record Of the Republican party in the mat
ter of constitution making, contained in
the Infamous and revolutionary document
of 1864, and reflects that many of the bold,
bad men who concocted and carried out
that high handed measure still maintain
a controlling influence in the Republican
party of Maryland, will be ready to con-
cede that the work of constitution max
ing had better be confded to the Demo-
cratic party.
SO it will appear that this unholy COM
bination gives little promise of effecting
its bad purpose. The public opinion a.
mong the Republicans is considerably
divided on the question OF new consti-
tuition, as is evidenced by the speech of
Mr.. McComas, and it will not be practi-
cable 10 unite the party on that plank Of
the platform; while the effect of this al
lance on the part.of the B. & o, disclos-
ing as it does so plainly the selfish motive
OF that corporation, will serve to increase
the unity of the Democratic party on the
constitutional question. The B. & O. has
been long endesvoring to make idea"
and it has at last sueeseded; but it will
not lie long in realizing what it should